[tex]\text{According to the factor theorem, if f(b) = 0, then x-b is a factor of f(x).}\\\\\text{Given that,}\\\\f(x) = 2x^3 +5x^2 +4x +1 \\\\f\left(-\dfrac 12 \right) = 2\left( - \dfrac 12 \right)^3 +5 \left( - \dfrac 12 \right)^2 +4 \left( - \dfrac 12 \right) +1 \\\\\\~~~~~~~~~~~~=-2 \cdot \dfrac 18 + 5 \cdot \dfrac 14 -2 +1 \\\\\\~~~~~~~~~~~=\dfrac 54 -\dfrac14 -1\\\\\\~~~~~~~~~~~=\dfrac 44 -1 \\\\\\~~~~~~~~~~~=1-1\\\\\\~~~~~~~~~~~=0\\\\\text{So,}~ 2x +1 ~ \text{is a factor of f(x).}[/tex]
[tex]\text{Now,}\\\\f(x) = 2x^3 +5x^2 +4x +1 \\\\~~~~~~=2x^3+x^2 +2x^2 +2x +2x+1\\\\~~~~~~=x^2(2x+1) +2x(2x+1) + (2x+1)\\\\~~~~~~=(2x+1)(x^2 +2x +1)\\\\~~~~~~=(2x+1)(x+1)^2[/tex]
